Over the years, R&B star Angela Bofill has given the world plenty of hits. More recently, however, she's been taking hits herself.
In July, the longtime Bay Area resident suffered her second stroke in 18 months. This one left her barely able to speak and partially paralyzed. She's receiving care at a medical facility in Sonoma County. Still, the 53-year-old vocalist, known for such '80s hits as "Too Tough" and "Holdin' Out for Love," is trying to stay upbeat about her situation.
"I'm lucky," Bofill struggles to say during an interview. "God's not finished with me yet."
To help raise funds to ensure that Bofill receives proper care, local Grammy-winning producer Narada Michael Walden is presenting "The Spirit of Giving Concert," a benefit Saturday at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, featuring Walden, Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt and other musicians.
The outpouring of support from the music community for this tribute and ones like it held previously in other cities have been impressive. Walden says it's indicative of what Bofill means to other musicians.
"Everyone who knows her is very taken by her," says the producer, who has worked with such luminaries as Eric Clapton and Herbie Hancock. "Her music has really transcended time."
The success of the Saturday event is critical to Bofill's future. Although she's in stable condition, she still needs extensive, nearly 24-hour care. "It's likely that she will need this type of care for the rest of her life," says Suzanne Koga, one of the concert organizers.
Unfortunately, the singer doesn't have health insurance, and the funding that provides her nursing home care will run out in a matter of months. Bofill's own finances, Koga says, have long since been depleted.
The singer's story is by no means unique in the music business. Countless others have run into financial difficulties later in life. Many of them never signed up for medical insurance.
Born in New York, Bofill moved to the Bay Area just as her career was reaching its height, settling in Berkeley in 1982 and later moving to Sonoma County. She held Bay Area addresses while recording big hits such as "Tonight I Give In" and "I Just Wanna Stop."
Although never ranked among the top stars, Bofill was very influential on the R&B scene. Her style of singing, a hybrid of jazz and soul, sounded startlingly fresh in the '80s.
"You can almost say that she was the start of a new sound," Walden says. "What Jill Scott and India.Arie are into now - she was the pioneer of that."
Her last hit single came in 1988, with "I Just Wanna Stop," but that didn't stop her from touring. She had a major tour of the South planned in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit. That cancellation was a major blow to Bofill's bank account. It "put her into a financial tailspin that she couldn't pull out of," Koga says.
As a result, Bofill was forced to sell her home in Santa Rosa and move in with family. Her income was eaten up by the medical bills after the first stroke in early 2006. Bofill had regained her ability to speak and most of her singing voice when the second stroke hit.
Of the tribute concert, Bofill says the show of support from her fellow musicians is "very sweet and exciting." When asked where she finds strength during these difficult days, Bofill answers, "Family."
Then she struggles to express two messages for fans: "Get a checkup," and "I love you, too."'The Spirit of Giving Concert'
A tribute to Angela Bofill
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